They Came as a Group to Become His Disciples

Without giving Chen Hao any chance to react, Gong Honglin grabbed him and pushed him into the crowd of specialists.

In an instant, Chen Hao was engulfed by a barrage of questions from specialists of every stripe.

"Mr. Chen, what medical technique did you use to cure Commander Chu's late-stage lung cancer? Could you explain it to me?"

"Mr. Chen, was it some folk remedy passed down in your family? I've studied traditional Chinese folk remedies for decades, but I've never heard of anything so miraculous."

"Mr. Chen, are you still accepting disciples? If you are, I can become your disciple right now!"

"Stop fighting over it! If anyone's becoming his disciple, it should be me. In terms of experience and talent, I, Wang, am second to none here."

"Oh, give it a rest, Wang. Your medical skills might fool a few children, but why are you showing off in front of us?"

As they all talked over one another, seemingly on the verge of an argument, Chen Hao's face darkened with exasperation. What the hell was going on?

Seeing the situation slipping out of control, Gong Honglin hurriedly called a halt. "Enough! Stop arguing!"

Only then did everyone gradually fall silent. With a perfectly straight face, Gong Honglin said, "What are you all fighting over? Chen Hao is a once-in-a-generation genius of Huaxia. Why would he take ordinary people like you as disciples? You're all getting on in years, yet none of you can act your age."

Then Gong Honglin turned to Chen Hao with a smile. "Mr. Chen, with medical skills as brilliant as yours, wouldn't it be a tremendous loss to Huaxia if you didn't use them to save lives? How about this? Come practice at Zhonghai City First People's Hospital, and I'll give you the same compensation as a deputy director. What do you think?"

Everyone had expected Gong Honglin to say something earth-shattering. Instead, he was trying to poach Chen Hao from right under their noses. The other specialists immediately protested.

"Come on, Gong, that's hardly fair. You make it sound like our Second Hospital can't afford to pay him."

"Exactly! Come to our hospital, Mr. Chen. Name your annual salary."

"Well..." Faced with another wave of pressure, Chen Hao really couldn't take much more.

It was inevitable that everyone would fight over Chen Hao. His ability to cure cancer and repair scars alone would cause an incalculable stir if it became public knowledge.

Seeing Chen Hao suddenly trapped in this predicament, Chu Jinliang finally spoke. "All right, everyone. Chen Hao has just finished treating my Ling'er, and he needs to rest. Please step outside for now."

With that, he waved to Qiao Shan and the others.

Qiao Shan immediately understood and led the other soldiers in "ushering" all the specialists out.

Once they were gone, the noisy room finally returned to its former quiet, and Chen Hao let out a heavy sigh of relief.

Just after the crowd left, Chu Jinliang felt his chest tighten and nearly collapsed. Fortunately, Chen Hao reacted quickly and caught him.

Chen Hao knew exactly what was happening to Chu Jinliang. Although he had brought the cancer cells in his body under control, he hadn't completely eliminated them. After more than six months of suffering from cancer, the deterioration of his bodily functions couldn't be reversed overnight. He would need several more rounds of treatment and recuperation before he could hope to recover fully.

After helping Chu Jinliang into a seat, Chen Hao said seriously, "Grandpa Chu, you still need to take care of yourself. You've regained some strength, but your bodily functions won't recover overnight. You mustn't let your guard down."

Chu Jinliang smiled gratefully at Chen Hao. "Of course I know that. But none of you are going to talk me out of it today. I'm going to spend some proper time with Chen Hao."

As he spoke, Chu Jinliang called Qiao Shan in to arrange a banquet for that evening.

As soon as Qiao Shan left, Chu Jinliang deliberately lowered his voice and leaned close to Chen Hao's ear. "Do you have any more of that wine you gave me last time?"

Chen Hao asked in return, "Did you feel anything unusual after drinking it?"

Chu Jinliang thought for a moment. "It had a very distinctive taste. If I had to describe how it felt, my whole body grew warm when I drank it, and then I seemed to have a lot more strength. I haven't had any today, and now I feel a little out of sorts."

Of course, Chen Hao thought. What I gave you was immortal Peach Blossom Wine from the god of longevity himself, the Old Immortal of the South Pole. Never mind making a healthy person burst with energy—a mouthful could probably make someone who'd stopped breathing jump around a couple of times. Ordinary people couldn't get their hands on it even if they wanted to.

Chen Hao chuckled. "Yes. I've already got it ready for you."

"Good! Then tonight, we're not stopping until we're drunk."

"Grandpa, you're still thinking about your wine when you're in this state?" Chu Mengling protested as soon as she heard him.

Chen Hao hurriedly explained with a smile, "It isn't ordinary wine. It's medicinal wine I specially prepared to help Grandpa Chu recover."

"Right, right! Medicinal wine! It's medicinal wine! Hahaha..."

Seeing the mischievous grins on the old man's and young man's faces, Chu Mengling and the others burst out laughing too.

For that moment, the warmth in the room truly made them seem like one happy family.

After healing Chu Mengling's face, Chen Hao had actually wanted to leave. But Chu Jinliang insisted again and again, and Chu Huasheng and his wife also said they wanted to properly thank him. In the end, everyone agreed to get together that evening.

The moment the door opened, the specialists waiting outside nearly swarmed in again. Fortunately, Qiao Shan and the other soldiers escorted them out. Otherwise, Chen Hao would never have made it out of the hospital that day.

Once outside, Chu Mengling bounded off and brought her Porsche sports car around. She rolled down the window and waved at Chen Hao. "Chen Hao, get in!"

Chu Mengling's mother remarked, "Ling'er, you've only just recovered. Don't drive yet. Come ride with us."

To her surprise, Chu Jinliang immediately objected. "Ling'er's already recovered. She's perfectly fine. Besides, young people should spend time with other young people. We old folks shouldn't get in their way."

"Yes, yes. Go on and get in, Chen Hao," Chu Huasheng chimed in. "Just stay safe on the road."

Chen Hao opened the door and got in. Chu Mengling stepped on the gas, and the car roared out of the hospital.

Watching how skillfully Chu Mengling drove, Chen Hao couldn't help asking, "You're pretty good behind the wheel. Have you had training?"

Chu Mengling pursed her lips, looking immensely pleased with herself. "Of course. I've always dreamed of becoming a professional racing driver, but my parents don't really approve, so..."

Then Chu Mengling glanced at Chen Hao, her face reddening. "I'm sorry. I misunderstood you before, and I even hit you."

Chen Hao chuckled. "It's fine." Then he turned to her with a puzzled look. "Since you like racing so much, I can understand you driving a Porsche 911. But what was the deal with that Audi A4?"

Chu Mengling smiled. "That A4 wasn't mine. It belonged to a friend."

"A friend?" Chen Hao frowned as he looked at Chu Mengling. Her smile was still innocent and sweet, but a trace of suspicion rose in his heart.

With Chu Mengling's driving skills, the chances of her crashing a car like that were very slim. Yet it had happened. Could it really have been nothing more than a coincidence?

Still, the thought only flashed briefly through Chen Hao's mind.

Meanwhile, in Chu Jinliang's car.

"Qiao Shan, how is the investigation coming along?" Chu Jinliang asked gravely.

Driving up front, Qiao Shan frowned, his expression solemn. "Commander Chu, we haven't reached a final conclusion yet, but all the signs and evidence we've gathered indicate that the organization really was involved."

Hearing this, Chu Jinliang let out a deep sigh. "If that's true, our Chu family may be in trouble."

Given Chu Jinliang's standing in Huaxia, it was difficult to imagine anyone daring to threaten the Chu family. But Qiao Shan knew that certain little-known, highly mysterious underground organizations existed in this world.

These underground organizations operated in elusive ways and wielded enormous power. Some even controlled major nations, and Chu Mengling's car accident seemed to be connected to one such mysterious organization.

If that were true, then Chu Jinliang's concerns were far from groundless.

Chu Jinliang kept tapping his fingers against the car door. Suddenly, he stopped and said solemnly to Qiao Shan, "Make the arrangements later. Send Ling'er and the others to Capital City as soon as possible."

Qiao Shan nodded, then asked in some surprise, "What about you?"

Chu Jinliang chuckled. "I'm already an old man. What do I have left to fear? I've lived long enough. Before I close my eyes for good, I'd really like to face these people."

Looking at Chu Jinliang in the rearview mirror, a faint glimmer of resolve flashed deep in Qiao Shan's eyes.

The car soon stopped outside a five-star hotel called the Ancient Sovereign. Both its reputation and its luxury ranked among the very best in Zhonghai City. It certainly wasn't somewhere ordinary people could afford.

After getting out, Chu Mengling tossed her car keys straight to the doorman and led Chen Hao inside with a cheerful smile.

The lobby manager, who had been busy near the entrance, immediately dropped everything and came over when he saw Chu Mengling. "Oh, Miss Chu! What brings you here? It's been ages!"

Chu Mengling clearly knew him too. "Manager Wang, are you saying you didn't want to see me?"

The lobby manager surnamed Wang hurriedly smiled apologetically. "Not at all! Not at all!"

Although Manager Wang wasn't entirely sure of Chu Mengling's background, he was skilled at reading people. Once he had seen the circles she moved in, he had become certain that she was no ordinary young woman.

Soon, he caught sight of Chen Hao behind Chu Mengling out of the corner of his eye, and his shrewd eyes darted about as he considered the situation.

Under normal circumstances, if someone as plainly dressed and ordinary-looking as Chen Hao stood before him, he would never have gone out of his way to welcome him. But since Chu Mengling had brought him, that was another matter altogether.

"Miss Chu, who might this gentleman be?"

Chu Mengling lifted her eyes slightly, making no attempt to hide the pleasure on her face. "His name is Chen Hao. He's a friend of mine—a very good friend."

Hearing Chu Mengling specifically add "a very good friend," Manager Wang immediately took the hint. "I understand, I understand. Mr. Chen, my name is Wang Xuankai. It's a pleasure to meet you. Please, come inside."

After leading them into the elevator, Wang Xuankai asked with a smile, "Miss Chu, which private dining room have you booked?"